“Do you want to head upstairs and watch something else instead? Or play video games?”
That weird fluttering happens in my chest again.More than anything.“You sure you don’t want to finish this first?”
Jude scrunches their nose and shakes their head. “Nah, I’ve seen it before. It’s not bad, but it’s not Anderson’s best work, either.”
I hesitate for a moment, then smile. “Well, okay, let’s bail.”
The two of us do our best to gather everything as quickly and quietly as possible without disturbing other moviegoers, then head toward the entrance to Oakland Hall. A rush of warm air embraces us as we step through the doors, and I sigh with relief.
“Were you cold?” Jude asks, tossing me a surprised look.
“I guess I was, yeah.”
They chuckle softly. “Southerners,” they mutter, shaking their head.
I give them a playful shove with my hip. “Where to now? Your place or mine?”
Jude peers at their watch. “Yours if we want to playSmash, but if you want to watch a movie without interruptions, we can go to my place. Celeste is working until after 11 tonight.”
I also glance at their watch. It’s only a few minutes after nine. “It’s your call. If we watch a movie, though, I’m going to need some caffeine to keep me from dozing off again.”
Jude considers it, running a hand through their strawberry blonde hair. “Do you like coffee?”
“Love coffee.”
“Let’s go to my place then,” Jude decides, pressing the “up” button on the elevator. “I can make us some killer good coffee.”
I grin widely. “Sounds perfect.”
A short elevator ride later, Jude opens the door to room 714, and the sweet scent of cinnamon and vanilla immediately greets me. “Holy shit, what smells so good?” I ask.
“Oh, I baked some cookies this morning,” Jude casually explains, as if it’s nothing. “Snickerdoodle. I meant to bring them tonight, but I forgot.”
My mouth is already watering. “What was the occasion?”
“No occasion,” Jude says with a shrug. “I was proud of myself for going to the gym, so I baked cookies.”
Before I can respond, my attention is drawn to the living room. Every wall is covered with framed posters, photos, and art in various sizes and compositions. Mounted shelves hold half a dozen potted houseplants, their vines dangling freely below. The windows are adorned with lovely green and yellow curtains, and one of several hanging crystals catches the light from the kitchen. Green, yellow, and cream-colored throw pillows and blankets cover the sofa and armchair, and there’s even a matching green rug beneath the coffee table.
“Wow,” I exhale. “You and Celeste really know how to make a place feel like a home.”
“Thanks,” Jude replies from the kitchen, actively preparing the coffee. “It’s mostly Celeste, though. She’s a bit of a maximalist. If it were up to her, she’d paint all the walls different colors.”
I chuckle. “That would be cool. Man, this makes me want to add more shit to my walls. My room’s so boring.”
“You should!”
“Maybe I will.”
A few moments later, the coffeemaker starts gurgling, and Jude lets out a sigh. “Okay, I can’t take it anymore.”
Dread churns in my stomach. I turn around to face them. “What?”
Jude places a plastic container on the counter, opens it to reveal the Snickerdoodles inside, then looks at me. “Can we pick up where you left off earlier? You were just about to tell me what your dating experience was like as an asexual, and I can’t stop thinking about it.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, is that all? I thought something was wrong!” Snatching up a cookie, I pull out a barstool tucked beneath the counter and settle in. “There’s really not much to tell.” I bite into the soft Snickerdoodle, and as soon as it touches my tongue, I let out a moan. “Oh, my God.”
“What?” Jude asks, swiveling around from the coffee maker.
